Mechanism for releasing or operating photographic shutters.



No. 708,876. Patented Sept. 9, I902.

A. H. EDWARDS. MECHANISM FOR RELEASING 0B OPERATING PHOTOGRAPHICSHUTTERS.

' (Application filed Apr. 18, 1902.)

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet I. I

magnum No. 708,876. Patented Sept. 9, 1902. 4

A. H. EDWARDS.

MECHANISM FOR RELEASING UR OPERATING PHQTOGRAPH IC SHUTTERS.

(Application filed Apr. 18, 1902.)

(No Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

d 5 m Q/VMZZZT UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR HENRY EDWARDS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MECHANISM FOR RELEASING 0R OPERATING PHOTOGRAPHIC SHUTTERS.

SPECIFICATJION forming part of Letters Patent 1Y0. 708,876, datedSeptember 9, 1902.

Application filed April 18, 1902. Serial No. 103K 33. (N0 model.) 4

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR HENRY En- WARDS, engineer, a subject of theKing of Great Britain, residing at 96 Lordship road, Stoke Newington,London, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements inMechanism for Releasing or Operating Photographic Shutters, ofwhich thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for re,

leasing or operating photographic shutters.

Heretofore pneumatic means or apparatus only may be capable of endwisemovementwith respect to the other, and for my present purpose Iadvantageously employ the particular construction of power-transmittingmechanism forming the subject-matter of my application for LettersPatent of the United States filed January 2, 1902, Serial No.'88,186,which mechanism I have illustrated in Fig-,

-ures] to 6 of the drawings hereunto annexed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a longitudinal view,partly in section, of one form'of the flexible tubing. Figs. 1 and 1 arelongitudinal sections of modified forms of sleeves. Fig. "2 is a similarview to Fig. 1, showing a modified construction. Fig. 3 is-alongitudinal sectional view of another modification. Fig. lis a similarview to Fig. 3,

showing a :further modification. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view showingthe outer member formed of open links. Fig. 5 is an end view thereof.Fig. 6 is a longitudinal view, partly in section, showing the outermember provided with antifrictiou-rollers. Fig. 6 is an end viewthereof. Fig. 7shows an application of the flexible tubing to acamera-shutter, the outer flexible member being shown as the movablemember. Fig. 8 shows another application of the flexible tubing to acamera, the inner flexible member being shown as the movable member; andFigs. 9 to 14 show alternative means'for imparting motion to theflexible tubing.

In Fig.- 1, A A are short rigid sleeves, (advantageously formed ofmeta],) and Z is the inner flexible connection, which can freely passthrough the opening in said sleeves A. In Fig. l the sleeves are formedwith'a thinner wall A and a collar A In Fig. I the sleeve A is formedwith an inwardly-extending collar A In Fig.. 2 eachsleeve is formed witha hollow part B and rounded extension B thereon, adapted to fit withinthe hollow part B of the adjacent section. In Fig. 3 a

inner sleeves O, with flanges O, and outer sleeves D. In Fig. 4 theouter sleeves D are formed 'with an internal flange D, the inner tubes 0being without flangesthereon. In Figs. 5 and 5 a series of links E areemployed, with cross-bar E and recess E at each end thereof. In Figs. 6and 6 the sleeves F F are slotted at F and provided with a series ofantifriction-rollers G, revolubly mounted on a ring G and located in thesaid sleeves in such wise that the peripheries of said rollers G serveas antifriction-rollers,against which the'inner flexible connection Zmay bear, all as fully set forth in my said prior application forUnited'States patent filed January 2, 1902. Therefore no claim is madeherein to the foregoing power-transmitting mechanism separately, as sameforms the subject of my said earlier application for United Statespatent as aforesaid. In order to release or operate pneumatic shuttersby means of these two said flexible members according to the presentinvention, I' proceed in any of the following manners: I attach one endof one of 'the members (say the flexible outer casing) to the frame orshutter and the corresponding end of the other member (say the innerflexible connection) to apart of'the shutter mechanism-as, for instance,to a releasing pawl or catch, which normally holds the shutter when setready for giving an exposure. of the outer casing is provided withanysuitable knob or handle or lever, (which I will refer to as "No.1.handle,) and the corredouble series of short tubes are shown-viz.,

a fixed part of the casing of a photographic The other end which theflexible inner connection isled, and

the end'of the latter connected by means of a cross-bar working in theaforesaid slotted rod' and fixed to the aforesaid sleeve on said rod.Thus by simply pressing together the No. 1 and No. 2 handles power ormotion is transmitted to the releasing-pawl or other part to beoperated. A spring may be provided to return said parts to their normalposition, or I may employ other alternative means or mechanism to impartmotion toeither or both of the two said flexible members, all ashereinafter fully described with reference to the drawings hereuntoannexed.

Referring to Fig. 7 of the drawings, the

' outer casing, (formedof said short rigid tn be's,

sleeves, or links, &c.,) which I will heredesignate Y and constructed inany of the aforesaid manners, is attached at one end to or bears againstthe short tubular socket X .which is provided with an enlarged head X,and is slotted at X, while the other end of said outer casingY is fixedto or bears against the tube W which latter-is vertically slotted at W,and at its upper end W is connected to the releasing lever or trigger Tby means leasing the collar U and the button X, the' spring 0 willreturn the part W and casing:

of which latter the shutter is released; this tube W being adapted toslide within the tubular socket V which may be swiveled at V to the mainframe of the shutter; the inner I flexible connection Z being attachedat one end to the cross-bar Z adapted to slide in the aforesaid slots Xin the said tubular socket X', which cross-bar Z is fixed to the slidingcollar U, which is adapted to slide freelyon the said tubular socketX;while the other end of said inner flexible connection Z is connected tothe fixed cross-bar Z with a spring 0 interposed between said.cross-bar.

Z and the. end of the outer casing Y; the said cross-bar Z being locatedin the slots W in the part W: Thus by pressing said button X toward thecollar U the outer casing Y is compressed and consequently by meansthereof the part or tube W is forced upwardly (through the socket V) andthereby the trigger 'l operated and the shutter released; while, ontheoperator re,-

Y to the normal position, ready for the shutter to be reset, asupplementary spring 0 being provided, if desired, in the socket Xbetween the end X and the cross-bar Z. When the said tubes, sleeves,beads, links, &c., Y have been threaded on the inner flexible connectionZ, same may advantageously be inin their normal position.

outer flexible member Y in this case is'attached at one end toa slottedtube or sleeve Y, slotted at Y which is provided with an enlarged head Y,t-he other end of this outer memr ber Ybeing attached (fixed) at Y to afizted bracket or support R, rigidly attached to the shutter-casing. Theinnerfiexible memberZ is attached at its outer end to a cross-bar Z,carried by and fixed in the sliding collar U,which' is adapted to slidefreely on the said slotted tube or sleeve Y, the cross-bar Z sliding inthe aforesaid slots Y", the other end of said inner flexible member Zbeing attached at Z to the bell-crank or rocker P, pivoted at P to thecasing of the shutter, and a spring 0 is interposed between said rockerP and the end Y of the outer member, and, if desired, a supplementalspring 0 may be insertedinside the sleeve Y,hetween the end Y thereofand the cross-bar Z, to thus retain the parts It will thus be seen thatby forcing the sliding collarU toward the button or head Y thereby theinnerfiexible connection Z will move the rocker P and release theshutter.

In Figs. 9 to 141 have illustrated various alternative forms orconstruction of handles or means according to my present invention ism.

In Fig. 9 the inner flexible connection Z is attached to'a circularhead, disk, or button H, the inner circular part H of which rests tooperate the power-transmitting mechan- IIO in a circular socket 1,adapted to receive.

same in they handle or part, I, formed as a counterpart of the disk H,so that by pressing the parts Hand l together anywhere round their edgesthe opposite edges will be displaced, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.9,

and thereby theinner flexible connection Z will be put in.tensioni. e.,will be pulled through the outer casing Y and returned (on releasing theparts H and I) by the operation of a spring-such, for instance,.ashereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. The arrangementshown in Fig. 10 acts in a corresponding manner'to that shown in Fig. 9,the parts H and I being difierently shaped:

. In Fig. 11; the inner flexible connection Z is connected at J to acompressible and expansible spherical (or otherwise suitably shaped)device J; this device J being attached at J 2 to or hearing against theend of the'outer casing Ysobthat by compressing the device J across theli'niddle the end'J will be forced away from the part J and endwisemotion imparted to the connection Z.

' rangement illustrated the other end of the inner flexible connection Zis fixed at L to a fixed point L, and consequently the end of the outercasing Y will operate or rock the bell-crank or rocker L pivoted at Lthe spring 0 being interposed, as hereinbefore described, in order toreturn the parts to their normal position.

Fig. 13 shows the inner flexible connection Z attached at M to alazy-tongs M, the outer casing being attached at M to another part ofsaid lazy-tongs, sothat by contracting or expanding said lazy-tongsrelative motion can be imparted to the inner flexible connection Z orthe outer casing Y, or both, as desired and according to the manner inwhich the other end of said two flexible members are connected up to thepart to be operated;

Fig. 14 shows the inner flexible connection Z arranged'in an endless orcontinuous form- 2'. a, said inner flexible connection Z is fixed at thepoint I to the loose sleeve 2 and then extends around the idle wheel 3,mounted inside the hollow movable head 4, upon which latter the sleeve 2is adapted to slide. From this idle wheel 3 the inner flexibleconnection passes freely through the sleeve 2 at the point 5, and thencethroughthe flexible outer casing Y to the opposite end thereof,

where same passes around a pulley 6, and thence returns back to thesleeve 2, to which same is fixed at the point 1. It will thus be seenthat by pulling the sleeve 2 upward and around the idle wheel upon theshank or part 7 of the head 4 the inner flexible connection Z will bedrawn 3 and around the pulley 6, and thereby impart rotary motion to thelatter, the spring 8 returning the parts to theirnormal position whenreleased, or the outer casing Y may be formed and arranged with aduplicate and separate passageway therethrough. It will be obvious thatthe inner flexible ill 6011761 must in all cases be iuextensible eitherwith or without being incompressible, and the outer flexible member orcasing Y must in all cases be incompressible both lengthwise andcrosswise.

In the ar- Having now described my invention, What -I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

- 1. In a camera, the combination with the shutter-releasing mechanism,of a flexible inner member secured to the camera; a flexible outermember, movable longitudinally of said inner member, engaging saidshutter-releasing mechanism, and comprising a. plurality of sectionsseparable from and unconnected to each other; and means for operatingsaid outer member.

2. In a camera, the combination with the shutter-releasing mechanism, ofa flexible inner member; a flexible outer member provided with slots androllers mounted therein, one of said members being movablelongitudinally of the other and adapted to engage said shutter-releasingmechanism; and means for operating said movable member.

3. In a camera, the combination with the I sh utter-releasing mechanism,of a flexible inner member and a flexible outer member, one ofsaidmembers being movable longitudinally of the other and adapted to engagesaid shutter-releasing mechanism, said outer member comprising aplurality of sections separable from and unconnected to each other, andeach section provided with a slot and a roller mounted therein; andmeans for operating said'movable member.

4. Ina camera, the combination with the shutter-releasing mechanism, ofa flexible inner member and a flexible outer member, one of said membersbeing movable longitudinally of the other and adapted to engage saidshutter releasing mechanism, said outer member comprising a plurality ofsections separable from and unconnected to each other, and each sectionprovided with slots and rollers mounted therein; andmeans for operatingsaid movable member.

5. In a camera, the combination with the shutter, of a flexible innermember; a flexible outer member, movable longitudinally of said innermember, and comprising a plurality of sections separable from andunconnected to each other, a shutter-releasing device connecting saidshutter and outer movable member; and a handle composed of two members,one of said handle members connected to said inner flexible members,and. the othersaid handle member'being movable relatively to the firsthandle member and engaging said-outer flexible member for operating thesame.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR HENRY EDWARDS. \Vitnesses:

ALFRED NUTTING, TH. RANDS.

